About Creative Distillery

When clients first contact us, they have the list of marketing projects we offer: branding, design, web, social, and content. But after meeting with us, they understand our core truths: we care and branding can help.

Every time something is distilled it's boiled down to a purer, more potent form until its maximum essence is revealed. Creative Distillery will work until we find your real, core truth, and design a solution that feels fresh and authentic all at the same time.

Darren Schwindaman Principal

Darren Schwindaman is a graphic and web designer who oversees brand strategy for
Creative Distillery. He studied graphic design at Loyola University New Orleans and returned to Jackson
after Hurricane Katrina. Darren values building relationships with his clients
and making the world a better place through design. He is a rare breed of left-brained artist,
and he believes that good design comes from equal parts creativity, strategy and coffee. Darren enjoys
Atlanta Braves baseball, Saints football, and gritty FX dramas.

Melia Dicker Marketing Director

Melia spent nearly a decade in the nonprofit world before she co-founded Creative Distillery with Darren, her husband. She went on to hold leadership roles in marketing at Visit Mississippi, the Mississippi Arts Commission, and the Woodward Hines Education Foundation before returning to the team. Melia is excited to use this experience to help Creative Distillery's clients grow their reach and impact. Her favorite things include creative nonfiction, John Mulaney's comedy, and Zumba.

Frannie Maas Account Manager

Frannie Maas joins Creative Distillery from Belhaven
University where she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatre. Her degree taught her how to approach a project
creatively as well as organizationally. Her stage managing experience allows her to see what needs to be done
across multiple areas in order to keep a project moving smoothly, and successfully. In her free time, Frannie
enjoys eating french fries, bouldering, and asking you first before she pets your dog.

Sierra Mannie Marketing Content Writer

Sierra Mannie is a graduate of the University of
Mississippi, where she studied Classics and English with emphases in Latin and Creative Writing. Sierra is a
nationally published freelance journalist and a stickler for fact-checking who enjoys writing that joins intelligence
and context in warm, friendly matrimony. She is an undiscerning fan of nothing but Beyoncé and cartoons, and is
popular with babies.

Vanessa Wainwright Art Director

Vanessa Wainwright is an art director with a passion for
bringing brands to life in both web and print design. Her ideal projects are akin to a 1,000 piece puzzle because she
enjoys solving complex problems with out-of-the-box creative thinking. When she's not creating meaningful designs, she
can be found strumming a mountain dulcimer, or playing some other obscure instrument.

Kaiyla Barber Graphic Designer

Kaiyla Barber is a graphic designer with the drive to make any idea become reality.
Before joining the Creative Distillery team, she studied graphic design at Mississippi State University and worked as an intern for the MSU Women's Athletics Department.
When she is away from the office, you can find her watching a great movie, listening to Corinne Bailey Rae, or enjoying a delightful strawberry cheesecake.

Will Hawks Web Developer

Will Hawks is all about taking a concept and turning it into something
real and useful. He loves to take a problem and find a solution that really improves people’s lives
or makes them happy. That can be done lots of ways, but for Will it’s mainly writing, woodworking,
and web development. He also enjoys exploring new places with his wife Anna and playing music.

Kody Gautier Visual Content Creator

Kody Gautier is a visual content creator with a unique love for aesthetic experiences
and environments. Through his art and experimentation, he ultimately strives to capture challenging, enjoyable, and meaningful
material. In his spare time, Kody enjoys writing music, listening to books on Audible, and spending time
with his wife Shannon and German Shepherd Luna.